Real estate roundup: Four ambitious projects to keep an eye on.

AuthorJackson, Margaret
PositionSTATE of the STATEl.

Montrose investment goes outdoors

Over the last two years, Mayfly Outdoors has purchased 150 acres along 1.5 miles of the Uncompaghre River in Montrose, where it plans to develop a business park catering to outdoor-focused companies while restoring the river into a fly-fishing habitat.

The first phase of the Colorado Outdoors project will be a 35,000-square-foot headquarters facility for Abel Reels and Ross Reels, two of Mayfly's subsidiaries. The second phase will be the strategic expansion of infrastructure within the development, including upgrading roads and expanding fiber optic capacity while recruiting additional outdoor businesses.

"This project is a revitalization of the north end of town," said David Dragoo, president of Mayfly, a Colorado-based outdoor industry investment company. "We have some prospective tenants--some local, some from the Front Range and some from out of state."

The third phase includes a retail development with a river walk featuring restaurants, cafes shops and other local enterprises. The project also could have a residential component, depending on demand in the community.

Over the next 10 years, Colorado Outdoors is expected to create 1,205 permanent jobs, according to an economic impact analysis conducted by Anderson Analytics. Total annual payroll impact is estimated at $71 million, and annual economic output is estimated at $254 million.

"This is an exciting project because it means building a future for Montrose that will attract great businesses and fly-fishing enthusiasts from all over the world while helping sustain one of our greatest assets: the Uncompahgre River," Dragoo said.

National Western Center:

Potential for innovation and jobs

Returning the National Western Complex to its original purpose as a center of agriculture could be just the ticket to boosting economic development in the north Denver neighborhood, according to a recent study of the area.

"We're in a really strong position to compete nationally and internationally in agribusiness," said Kelly Leid, executive director of the National Western Center. "We've homed in on six or seven different industry clusters that Colorado could play a role in."

Those clusters include water, infrastructure, energy related engineering; beverage manufacturing; specialty foods manufacturing; cattle and dairy manufacturing; agriculture-related aerospace UAV mapping; cattle, dairy, animal health and testing. The pay for jobs ranges from an average of $19...

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